Mechanical estimating uses MCAA manual units (the mechanical equivalent of NECA). Standard = light commercial / warehouse. +25% = schools, restaurants, medical offices. +50% = plants, labs, hospitals. MCAA 1/2 for change orders (normal / complex), MCAA 3 for special projects. Auto-recommended, override allowed.
Material escalation
Labour escalation
Tariff / import surcharge on materials
3 — Labour Factoring applied to direct labour
Check only conditions NOT already covered by the $/sqft base, overhead or profit. BC-market defaults — editable.
4 — Incidental Labour % of direct hours
5 — Major Equipment supplier quotes — excluded from $/sqft
The $/sqft benchmarks cover distribution only (duct, pipe, fittings, hangers, valves). Major equipment is always quoted — enter supplier budget prices:
AHU / RTU / Ventilation package
Heating plant (boilers / heat pumps)
Cooling plant (chillers / condensing units / VRF)
Pumps & hydronic specialties
Plumbing fixture package
Fans, hoods & kitchen ventilation
6 — Other Subcontractors & Specialists
Core drilling / X-ray / scanning
Crane & rigging (equipment hoisting)
Water treatment / flushing / glycol fill
Seismic engineering & restraint (SMACNA)
7 — General Equipment BC rental rates, editable
8 — General Expenses job-specific only
9 — Overhead, Profit & Closing
Overhead % (all cost categories)
Material markup
Quoted equipment markup
Labour markup
Subcontractor markup
Gen. expenses / equipment markup
Performance / L&M Bond — $18 per $1,000 of contract value
Include plumbing & gas permits (municipal / Technical Safety BC) — auto-calculated, editable in Section 8
2 — Discipline Breakdown $/sqft benchmarks auto-set by type & complexity — editable
Discipline
Hrs / sqft (MCAA 1)
Mat $ / sqft
Ext. Hours
Ext. Material $
Subcontracted scope — $/sqft budget rates (priced as subcontractors below)
Scope
Sub $ / sqft
Ext. Subcontract $
Benchmarks refill automatically when Building Type or Complexity changes — adjust any value afterward for the specific job. Uncheck disciplines not in your scope (e.g. fire protection carried by others).
Final Pricing — Mechanical Budget Estimate Summary
Disclaimer: Class 5 / budget-level square-footage estimate for early planning only, based on typical BC mechanical market rates, MCAA labour units adjusted for the non-union market, and standard productivity assumptions. Not a quotation or bid — detailed pricing requires drawings, specifications and supplier quotes on all major equipment (lead times on AHUs, boilers, chillers and VRF are volatile in BC). Permit fees approximate municipal plumbing + Technical Safety BC gas schedules. PST (7%) applied to materials and equipment as contractor cost; GST (5%) shown on selling price.